Positive Action for Women

ViiV Healthcare is committed to reducing stigma and improving access to care for women of color living with HIV.

In 2015, there were 7,498 new HIV diagnoses among U.S. women; more than 80 percent of these were among women of color (6,067 women).1 By addressing the unique needs of women of color — a group disproportionately impacted by HIV — we can help close gaps in care and ensure no one living with HIV is left behind.

With the help of leaders and communities across the country, in 2016, ViiV Healthcare spoke with women living with HIV and commissioned ethnographic research to learn more about the experiences of Black women and their networks. From this listening, we determined women of color living with HIV are heavily impacted by isolation at three levels:

From their friends, family and peers as a result of fear and stigma

Among local organizations limiting their ability to meet women’s needs

From the larger cultural conversation around HIV and women’s wellness, including in clinical research, media, culture and communications

To address these barriers, ViiV Healthcare launched a new program, Positive Action for Women, to fund innovative community collaborations for women of color living with HIV. Positive Action for Women provides funding for collaborations that break down isolation and stigma for women of color living with HIV and link these women to networks of care.

Positive Action for Women supports work in the following two areas: Networks for Women and Networks for Organizations.

Networks for Women grants fund innovative approaches that break down isolation and stigma for women of color living with HIV, improve their experiences, strengthen ally support and help close the gaps in care for women of color living with and affected by HIV.

Networks for Organizations grants fund collaborations that seek to develop local action plans for successfully engaging more women of color living with and affected by HIV across the care continuum.

ViiV Healthcare is proud to continue our commitment to all U.S. women, particularly those disproportionately affected by HIV. We believe that addressing the health disparities faced by all women of color — particularly Black women — across the continuum of care is a key priority in closing the gap in HIV disparities in the U.S.